who? Mark Matta, D.O. Board Certified Psychiatrist School Safety Summit Slippery Rock University- Robert Smith Student Center Mary 30th, 2018

Typology of school shootings Rampage shootings Mass murders Terrorist attacks Targeted shootings Government shootings “By the end of the day, a 17 y/o suspect, Dimitrios Pagourtzis– an introvert who had given off few warning signs– had surrendered and been taken into custody. Law enforcement officials said they found two homemade explosive devices left at the school during the rampage.” –NY Times 5/18/18 Rampage shootings— Member or former member, such as a student, former student, employee, or former employee---Attack on school or group of students selected for symbolic significance, often to exact revenge on a community or to gain power. Mass murders--Non‐member, typically an adult perpetrator, who is not a former student or employee--Attack on school institution or group of students for symbolic significance, often to gain power. Terrorist attacks--Individuals or groups engaging in violent acts to advance political or ideological goals--Politically motivated attack on school or group of students selected for their symbolic importance. Targeted shootings--Member or former member, such as a student, former student, employee, or former employee--Revenge targeted at individuals for some real or perceived maltreatment. Government shootings--Government agent such as military or police--Response to student protest or riot behavior, often in response to a crisis of government legitimacy. “We have what are often categorized as red-flag warnings, and here, the red-flag warning were either nonexistent or very imperceptible.” Typology of school shootings

Can Human behavior be predicted? I want to tear a throat with my own teeth like a pop can. I wantto gut someone with my own hand,to tear a head off and rip outthe heart and lungs from the neck. . .show them who is god. Eric Harris, Columbine shooter (Langman, 2009) Trends in demographics Similarities across events Patterns of behavior Mental Illness White, middle class/lower middle class, rural and suburban locations, conservative states, and access to guns (number of guns has increased, but not the amount of people using them) Can Human behavior be predicted?

Social science & psychological research Psychological Theories of Cause Social Science Theories of Cause Individual causes and qualities Community Contexts Social & Cultural Contexts Psychopathic Psychotic Traumatized “The Ceremony” Theory “Theatrical, tragic and pointless” (Fast 2008) Individual causes and qualities Mental illness-depresssion, SI tendencies, persanlity d/o, fixation w/ weapons Males Access to firearms Romantic rejection—Texas Victim of bullying (Research by Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, and Modzeleski (2002) finds that a large majority of school shooters are the victims of bullying (Larkin, 2007; Newman et al., 2004). Troubled home Community Contexts Exlusionary youth peer group dynamic Intergroup conflict Poor quality of student/faculty relationship Intolerant community climate Social & Cultural contexts Masculine roles may script violent behaviors in boys Conservative states Strong conservative religious population Widespread availability of guns Violence in media as glorifying violence or sparking copycat crimes. (Studies have shown that violent media does produce an increase in aggression) Ceremonial theory=These events seem to be attempts to gain status and prestige. Social science & psychological research

Homicides vs. suicides in schools Research in School Shootings, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Pages: 60-80, First published: 18 July 2007, DOI: (10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007.00008.x) The most current data about victimization in schools during the 2004–05 school year indicated that nonfatal incidents were many times more common, including victimization rates of 33 thefts and 22 violent crimes, including 4 serious violent crimes, per 1000 students. In comparison, fatalities in schools are extremely rare: only about 1 in 2,000,000 school‐age youth will die from homicide or suicide at school each year. Less than 2% of homicides of school‐age youth occur at school Homicides vs. suicides in schools

One theory for media coverage is location of shootings, suburban/rural, middle class schools. Inner city schools are usually not media targets. While the problem of school‐related shootings occurred across history, it was the intense media coverage of the famous incidents, including West Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Littleton, that created the public perception of school shootings as an emergent and increasing social problem. Much of this attention concentrated on rampage‐type incidents. Is there a media hype?

It’s been happening everywhere…I felt – I’ve always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here, too. Paige Curry, Student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS NY Times 2018

No unifying characteristic trait or behavior has been isolated. 01 The media may overreact tending towards public perception. 02 School rampages are rare and data is limited. 03 When they occur, it is due to a complex array of multifactorial reasons. 04 We have learned…..

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